Cherwell District Council opposes planned cuts to fire service by county council
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue service is proposing several changes to the fire service and has launched a public consultation
Planned cuts to the fire service in Oxfordshire, including closing stations and introducing 12-hour shifts, have been opposed by a district council.
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue service is proposing several changes to the fire service and has launched a public consultation.
Eynsham, Woodstock and Henley fire stations could be closed, while the stations at Kidlington and Rewley Road in Oxford would be merged into one fire station in North Oxford.
Only five fire engines will be guaranteed to cover the county at night, a minimum of 42 fire fighters would face redundancy, while firefighters would have to work 12-hour shifts.
Another 14 firefighters could face losing their homes in Kidlington as a result of the plans to merge the station with Oxford.
The proposals have faced opposition from the Fire Brigades Union, and a petition against the changes has gained 1,600 signatures.
Cherwell District Council passed a motion calling for the council to clearly show its opposition to the reduction of firefighters, 12-hour shifts, and the merger of Kidlington and Rewley Fire Stations.
Labour councillor Andrew Crichton, who proposed the motion, said: “When the very people who risk their lives for us are telling us these plans will make their jobs harder and our communities less safe, we have a responsibility to listen.
“We have heard repeated from the Fire Brigades Union that Oxfordshire Fire service already takes two minutes longer than the national average to reach incidents.
“That is not an abstract statistic – it is a risk to life.
“Every second counts and these cuts could add minutes.
“Oxfordshire’s population is growing. Cherwell’s population is growing. New housing, new industrial sites and increased traffic on the M40 all mean greater demand on our fire service, not less.
“Cutting capacity at a time of rising need is not future-proofing – it is short-sighted and dangerous.”
Leader of the council David Hingley proposed an amendment to the motion, asking that the council should express its “concerns” with the cuts, rather than its “opposition” to them.
Mr Hingley, who is also a Lib Dem councillor on the county council, said it was right for the council to express its views and concerns, but that it was “premature for us to come out in outright opposition to these proposals before the consultation has concluded and been fully analysed”.
He added: “No decisions have yet been made and of course the proposals have been put forward in the spirit of providing the best fire and rescue service.”
The amendment was ultimately voted down by councillors, with 19 voting for the amendment and 25 voting against it.
The original motion was passed with 30 in favour, 14 abstentions and no-one voting against.
Mike Adcock, deputy chief fire officer, previously said: “No decisions have been made on any of the proposals because first we want to carefully consider the views of residents and firefighters during the ongoing consultation process.
“We remain committed to engaging with the FBU throughout the consultation period and beyond and encourage the union to continue engaging with us.”
The consultation will close on January 20.
More than a hundred firefighters turned up at County Hall last Tuesday (December 9) against the proposed cuts, in a protest organised by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).